Lisa (not her real name) was tired of dealing with dizziness. Specifically, she was tired of dealing with vertigo, a spinning sensation that would suddenly hit her at seemingly random times throughout the day. The attacks made her wary of driving, and she worried she might fall and injure herself at home.

But then Lisa learned something interesting: physical therapy can help with vertigo and dizziness. She had some experience with PT, having gone through rehabilitation after a shoulder injury, but it never occurred to her that PT might be the solution to her issues with vertigo.

Eager for relief, Lisa made an appointment at Movement Specialists Physical Therapy. We conducted a comprehensive assessment and found that she had BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). It develops due to the buildup of tiny crystals in the inner ear, which interfere with the body’s vestibular system. 

We helped Lisa understand that her vertigo attacks weren’t as random as she thought. Instead, they occurred due to specific head movements that jostled the crystals. We helped identify those movements and performed some hands-on maneuvers that dislodged the crystals so they could no longer cause symptoms.

Because vertigo (and sometimes even dizziness) has a vaguely hallucinatory quality, people are often surprised to discover that its origins are typically physical. Fortunately, because they’re physical, PT is an excellent choice for finding relief.

To learn more, call to schedule an appointment.

Why Do We Feel Dizziness and Vertigo, Anyway?

First, it’s important to understand that dizziness and vertigo are technically two different things.

Dizziness is an umbrella term that can refer to any feelings of lightheadedness or wooziness. Most of us have experienced dizziness: maybe you stood up too quickly or felt a headrush when you got off a roller coaster. It can have other causes, too, such as medication side effects or low blood sugar.

Vertigo is a type of dizziness. It refers to a particular sensation: that you or the room is spinning around even when you’re standing still. It typically stems from issues with your vestibular system, which controls your body’s sense of balance.

The vestibular system is primarily located in your inner ear, although parts are also in your cerebellum. Most people who experience vertigo have inner ear issues, whether BPPV (the most common cause of vertigo) or another underlying condition, such as Meniere’s disease. 

In some cases, vertigo might stem from issues in your cerebellum, although those are rare.

The Key Factor: A Personalized Approach

Physical therapy offers different options to help people manage their dizziness and vertigo. We always begin treatment with a comprehensive assessment to help us understand the root cause of your symptoms.

As with Lisa, we’ll also try pinpointing any triggers for dizziness or vertigo. By identifying these triggers, you can work to avoid them. For example, we can show you how to modify activities to reduce the likelihood of vertigo attacks. We’ll also perform specific movements and positions to restore inner ear function, just as we did with Lisa.

Another way we help people with dizziness and vertigo is through dedicated balance training. Vertigo can be unnerving, but it’s not usually dangerous in and of itself. Instead, the danger comes from an increased fall risk. Balance training helps improve your overall balance and stability through progressive balance challenges and strengthening exercises, especially in the core.

A Specialized Approach: Vestibular Rehabilitation

If your vertigo stems from an impairment in your vestibular system, we may suggest you begin a vestibular rehabilitation program. Vestibular rehab is a specialized type of physical therapy that focuses specifically on inner ear dysfunction. While your exact program will be personalized, it generally includes the following:

• Relaxation techniques to help you navigate a vertigo attack
• Habituation exercises that help you become accustomed to the vertigo sensations so that they lessen over time
• Vision exercises to improve your gaze stability, which often plays a role in vertigo symptoms

We’ll combine these specialized techniques with balance and conditioning exercises to ensure well-rounded treatment!

Physical Therapy Can Help You Recover From Golfing Injuries 

Are you concerned about an old injury that seems to pop up every golf season? Have you wondered what to do to get ready for golf this year? Our physical therapists are highly trained movement experts at Movement Specialists Physical Therapy. We can help determine any limitations or restrictions affecting your swing and/or causing pain. 

Golf is a sport that can be played by people of all ages, both male and female, and by varying degrees of ability and experience. Most golf injuries are overuse-type conditions, often due to poor swing mechanics, poor core strength, and/or improper warm-up.

Our physical therapists are experienced at caring for golfers and helping resolve injuries, old and new. We understand the mechanics of the golf swing and the specific demands on individual joints, soft tissue, and your body as a whole. 

Request an appointment at Movement Specialists Physical Therapy today and let one of our physical therapists assess how your body moves and help you resolve any issue standing in your way of getting out on the course again!

Most golf-related injuries result from overuse and/or poor swing mechanics. Our Movement Specialists Physical Therapy team understands the biomechanics and forces of the golf swing to identify and treat any musculoskeletal injury. 

We will conduct a comprehensive evaluation on your first visit, including a thorough history and movement assessment. We will identify your unique joint range of motion and how your joints move in relation to one another. In addition, we will test your strength, coordination, and balance to ensure we determine any weaknesses and/or limitations that may impair your ability to swing correctly. 

This information will help us design a program tailored to your individual needs: flexibility/mobility, strength, and power training. We will work with you to correct faulty movement patterns to reduce the likelihood of injury and improve your overall performance. 

Our team will show you warm-up routines and in-season and/or preseason strength and conditioning programs that include education on enhancing performance so you can hit the ball with greater confidence!

Request an appointment at Movement Specialists Physical Therapy today!

Our physical therapists will design a golf-specific plan at Movement Specialists Physical Therapy to help you find relief and protect your body from future injuries and pain. No matter what condition you are dealing with, we can help you golf pain-free! 

Call today to set up an appointment with our golf specialists!